Tornado warning issued for Hobart

TORNADOES have hit Hobart as the weather bureau warns of severe storms in southeast Tasmania.

The Bureau of Meteorology says weak tornadoes have been observed in and around the capital on Friday and have been included in a warning about destructive winds, heavy rainfall, flash flooding and large hailstones.

"We have had some reports of hailstones and also tornadoes in the southeastern area," the bureau's severe weather forecaster, Matthew Michael, told AAP.

"The tornadoes that were reported were very weak in severity and quite short-lived.

"The main focus of the warning is really the strong winds and the hailstones."

Mr Michael said a cold southerly stream producing surface winds of a different temperature to higher winds had produced the rare weather event.

"Usually we'd only have an event that is conducive to producing tornadoes probably every few years," he said.

More tornadoes could be on the way with Hobart, the Derwent Valley, the Tasmanian midlands and the southeast coast all in the firing line.

Emergency services are warning people to put cars under cover and stay indoors.

The warning is expected to last until at least mid-afternoon on Friday.